Red Sox 6, Yankees 5: Start Spreadin’ The News, They’re Sweepin’ Today

Start spreadin’ the news

They’re sweepin’ today

We want to be a part of it

New York, New York

These vagabond crews

Overturned a big play

Yanks lost their own challenge on it

New York, New York

I want to rake tons

in their ballpark, make their fans weep

And find we’re king of the hill

Despite being cheap

These Wild Card blues

Are gone for today

They want a brand new start of it

In old New York

If they can sweep it there

They’ll sweep it

Anywhere

We say thank you,

New York, New York

New York, New York

We had to shake up

After losses dug our hole deep

And find this series is done

Win after win

Bring out the brooms

Smack more home runs

These Wild Card blues

Are gone for today

They wanna make a brand new start of it

In old New York

And if they can sweep in there

They’re gonna sweep it anywhere

We say thank you,

New York, New York

New York

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FanGraphs

Three Studs

Justin Turner (.615 WPA, 2-for-4, 4 RBI, 1 run scored)

Someone gave Turner the clutch gene, because woooooooo did he deliver. A massive three-run shot to give the Sox a lead in the seventh. The go-ahead RBI double in the top of the ninth to win it. Battling through his bone bruise to do literally whatever he can. That’s commitment.

Rafael Devers (.210 WPA, 3-for-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 run scored)

That’s a nice way to start the day, Raffy. His 29th dinger of the season, that’ll inspire confidence your power is there.

Rob Refsnyder-Trevor Story-Connor Wong

I’ll lump these three together because a game-saving play in the eighth doesn’t happen with all their contributions. Let’s start with Refsnyder, who came in cold because of an injury to Jarren Duran (which we now know is a left toe contusion). On that liner by Volpe, he SLIPS fielding the ball, gets up, and still fires a dart right into the chest of Trevor Story. Story in turn makes a phenomenal turn and throw to Connor Wong. Wong has the most precarious battle of making the catch and not blocking the plate, and getting the tag down on Isiah Kiner-Falefa. IKF was even called safe on the field. A very risky challenge by the Sox ended up turning out in their favor, then the Yankees riskily challenged the block at the plate, which ALSO turned in the Sox favor. Next inning, the BoSox retake the lead, and it’s all smoke from there (even with a very nervy bottom of the ninth).

Three Duds

John Schreiber (-.455 WPA, 2 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K)

That three-run home run given up to Anthony Volpe could have been a backbreaker for any momentum the Red Sox had. Turns out, it was just one more part of the roller coaster ride of this game.

Masataka Yoshida (-.059 WPA, 0-for-5, 3 K)

Masa is lucky Volpe threw away a big double play opportunity in the sixth inning to score Devers, but three K’s and not much else by way of contributions? I don’t know if it’s the exhaustion of a 162-game season catching up to him, or something else changing but he hasn’t been the same OBP machine of the first four months of the season much lately.

Adam Duvall (-.156 WPA, 0-for-5, 1 K)

Youk made a comment on a recent broadcast about Duvall being able to hit for power, but not hit well for average, that being the crux of Duvall’s career. That felt a lot like today, if he wasn’t going to connect, he wasn’t going to do anything much, at least with the bat.

Play of the Game

What else could it be but Justin Turner’s go-ahead, three-run shot in the seventh inning?